MANILA OCEAN PARK

This is an all-year and all-weather destination for locals and tourists. Manila Ocean Park is the country's world-class marine theme park and a premier educational facility.

It was a Sunday-affair with two of my siblings and parents in the metro. As we want to catch up with one another, sort of a mini-reunion, we want it somewhere near and a theme park at that. Thus, since everyday is a holiday at the Manila Ocean Park, we made it our choice of destination.
I have never been to the park despite its public opening for quite a relatively long period of time. Reminiscing, it was xxx years ago, the first time the Manila Ocean Park was marked in the Philippine map, when my classmates in college after we reached a new chapter in our lives, having passed the CPA Board Exams then, organized a tour to the theme park. With reasons I could not accept even up to this date, I declined to join them. It was a bit unusual for me "marked" as a wanderer for refusing to join them. My simple reason then was: "maliliit pa mga isda. lalaki pa yan."
I was stubborn then. With that idiotic reason that the school of fish would not be appealing as they were still small, no opportunity to visit the Manila Ocean Park came since then. It was a lesson for me that when an opportunity comes, grab it! (a lesson that usually gets in one ear and immediately goes out of the other)

Thus, after a few years (not that long time ago), my youngest sister who just graduated from high school asked my parents and another sister to visit the Manila Ocean Park. For curiousity sake, after attending to all my business meetings, I went straight to the Heritage Hotel, where they were checked in and joined them.

Upon arrival, the child (or childish) in me surfaced, I felt the excitement to witness what this theme park has to offer.

It was late in the afternoon when we arrived (nearly 5PM), and so we were left with the following packages to choose from, as displayed in the ticket booth.

When our queue for the tickets was near the window of the ticket booth, it was then announced that only package 2 was available, that is: oceanarium and the trails to antarctica. Left with no choice, we have to proceed.

Is this really the Ocean's Amazing Duo? This I have yet to see.

Another lesson learned. The early bird catches the worm. Indeed, if one opts to discover everything that the theme park has to offer be early enough to catch all the shows, as there are schedules that they need to strictly follow.

Then the deep adventure commences. Deep in the sense of reef walking imagination - walking under the sea with the sea creatures, the whales and even the penguins (not usual in tropical islands like the Philippines).

First stop. The Oceanarium. A large marine aquarium.

All sizes of aquarium are on display with sharks, fishes of all sort and other sea creatures flaunting their existence. Perhaps my perception back then was wrong, the sharks were so big - enough to occupy one standard room.

Next stop is the trail to Antarctica. Very ironic I should say. It was a weekend and as expected the queue to the entrance was long and uncomfortable. Something should be done on the ventilation. We are suppose to enter an environment expected to be so cold at a temperature that may be as low as the negative degrees. Contrary to how it is in the real life, we were all perspiring. At a point I even thought if lining up was all worth it. But I can't cut the excitement of my sister. And so we have to bear the circumstance.

After thirty (30) minutes, we were able to make it to pseudo-Antarctica. The most remarkable creatures are no less than the penguins. But these penguins are of a breed that they can withstand a temperature which is not that cold as we imagine - the coldest temperature a refrigerator can offer.

Looking at the makeshift environment of penguins, I was reminded of the movie Happy Feet, while to some the same is entertaining I am occupied by the idea that we don't even know the plight and qualms of these penguins, if truly they are happy to entertain the viewers. Nevertheless, it was just a fortunate incident that I was able to see these penguins happily swimming back and forth in this limited space.

Then, the winter experience was up next where coats were mandatorily distributed to withstand the freezing temperature.

The concept was a winter Christmas experience. It was not that remarkable but still worth the experience.

Souvenir shops are also available to make the experience immortalized from shirts, stuffed toys, ref magnets, mugs, key chains and more.

To end the day like any other post of mine, the mandatory view of the sunset at the Manila Bay is in order.

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About The Author

I am a CPA-lawyer by profession and a full-time wanderer. My tsinelas (slippers) have been my constant companion in my quest to discover the world we live in. No matter which part of the world I am, though oftentimes mistaken of a different nationality, I am always proud to wear my slippers, a mark of a Filipino wanderer.